Raisani Wants New Social Contract Under 1940 Resolution

Raisani on Sunday strongly advocated thrashing out a new social contract under the 1940 Resolution to address the concerns of smaller provinces.

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani on Sunday strongly advocated thrashing out a new social contract under the 1940 Resolution to address the concerns of smaller provinces.

In an interview with The News here at the sprawling and lush green Balochistan House, he called on the Centre to return some more subjects to the federating units in addition to the deletion of the concurrent list.

"We will make sure these subjects go to the provinces," he said, but declined to specify them. This clearly shows that the quantum of provincial autonomy envisaged in 18th Amendment is not enough.

"I have been and still I am a strong advocate of a new social contract based on the landmark resolution adopted in Lahore in 1940," he added. Raisani was accompanied by Balochistan Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd and Revenue Minister Zmarak Khan Achakzai.

The chief minister, on the occasion of the finalisation of details of the new NFC Award, had taken his counterparts from the Punjab, Sindh and Khyber- Pakhtoonkhwa to Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore to show them the text of the resolution inscribed on it, insisted it was time to go for a new social contract.

His younger brother Senator Lashkari Raisani, who heads the PPP in the province, had recently refused to accept Hilal-e-Pakistan for what he said was his inability to come up to the expectations of his people. Asked if he was satisfied with the pace of implementation of the much-touted package for Balochistan, Raisani indirectly expressed his dissatisfaction, saying the package must be implemented and hopefully it will be, as he had requested for continuing with Raza Rabbani as the head of the implementation committee.

About his recent statement that there was a parallel government in place with his coalition government, the chief minister smilingly played it down and claimed there had been an understanding between the two sides. "There are so many expectations and these should be. Have you seen the Aghaz-e-Haqooq Balochistan Package?" was his further reaction to the query. About the Riko Dek copper and gold reserves of multi-billion dollar value, he said it had been decided in principle that they would be handled purely by the government of Balochistan.

Foreign firms were busy in exploration, he noted and said once data was compiled regarding the precious reserves, it would be up to the provincial government how to proceed further for their processing. Rough estimates say there are 12.3 million tons of copper and 20.9 million ounces of gold at Riko Dek, Chagai district.

About the rebel Baloch elements who are no more interested in remaining part of Pakistan and want Balochistan as a separate state, Raisani said: "We are in contact with some of them and seek interaction with all others to bring them back to the mainstream." He made it clear their genuine concerns must be addressed on priority basis.

The chief minister claimed as compared to the previous year, there had been a significant decline in tragic incidents of target killings in his province this year. He dispelled the impression that the people of the Punjab, settled in Balochistan, were the only victim of target killings, claiming majority of those killed belonged to Baloch tribes.

Chief Minister Raisani, however, regretted target killings and said a new two-pronged strategy was being implemented to check the gory trend, and take on board all political parties having representation in the provincial assembly. He declined to share details about some elements recently taken in custody vis-i-vis the ongoing target-killing spree.